British Antartic Territory 75th Anniversary of Captain Scott's Arrival at South Pole

BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY on 19 March 1987 issued four first day cover stamps commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's Arrival at the South Pole. The cachet depicts the Antarctic and Captain Scott. It was signed by Lord Edward Shackleton, son of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. The postmark cancellation originated from British Antarctica Territory.

Scott and his team completed their quest to reach the South Pole, only to discover Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had arrived there first. He, Amundsen, was also the first to reach the North Pole. Scott and his team, exhausted and in poor health, failed to return to England and died at Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctic in March 1912.

Interestingly, when Scott and his party's bodies were discovered, they had in their possession the first Antarctic fossils ever discovered. The fossils were determined to be from the Glossopteris tree and proved that Antarctica was once forested and joined to other continents.

The stamps issued:

- 10p Captain Robert Falcon Scott 1868-1912

- 24p Hut Point and Discovery 1902-1904

- 29p Cape Evans Hut 1911-1913

- 58p Scott's Party at South Pole 18 January 1912